Celebrating 16 Years
Last March, Declan Rice, the midfielder for Arsenal, hailed Hale End academy talent Max Dowman as ”the best 15-year-old in the country.” In recent years, players like Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, and Myles Lewis-Skelly have risen through the youth ranks and made significant impacts on the first team. However, the buzz surrounding Dowman may surpass that of these other talents. This season, he has already achieved the milestone of being the youngest player to compete in the Champions League and the youngest to start a match for a top-five league club in this century.
On New Year’s Eve, Dowman will turn 16, and here at Transfermarkt, we are pleased to announce his first market value. Due to his impressive contributions to both club and country at the youth level, along with his early first-team accomplishments and the excitement surrounding him, the Arsenal forward is assigned a market value of €20 million. This valuation positions him as one of the joint-most valuable 16-year-olds globally, alongside Hertha’s defensive midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, and makes him the 21st most valuable player at Arsenal.
In terms of the highest ever first market values recorded on Transfermarkt, Dowman now holds the fifth position on the all-time list. As shown in the graphic below, four players before him were assigned an initial market value of €25 million, three of whom played for Barcelona. Notably, in 2023, Barca’s prodigy Lamine Yamal received a €25 million valuation and is currently valued at €200 million. In 2019, Ansu Fati, at 16, was also valued at €25 million, and similarly, midfielder Gavi received this same valuation in 2021. Lastly, Callum Hudson-Odoi was awarded a first market value of €25 million in 2019 after making a significant impact with Chelsea and the England national team.
